DIAPHRAGM VALVE

Abstract: A diaphragm valve for controlling a flow of gaseous or liquid fluid and including a valve housing (101) having a valve chamber (102), into which opens a central channel (104) and on each side thereof a first side channel (103) and a second side channel (104), respectively, having each an external connection (106, 107, 108) for fluid, valve seat means (110a, 110b) arranged in the housing, an elastic diaphragm (112) adapted to be brought into and away from sealing contact with at least one of the valve seat means, and control means (117, 118) for actuating the diaphragm. At least one portion of each valve seat means (110a, 110b) is common to the central channel (104) and one of the side channels (103, 104). Two control means (117, 118) are arranged on one hand to press the diaphragm (112) against one such portion each, thereby to shut off the passage of fluid between the central channel and the respective side channel, on the other to raise one portion each of the diaphragm off the respective portion of the valve seat means thereby to open passage of flow between the central channel and the respective side channel.

Description: DIAPHRAGM VALVE The present invention concerns a diaphragm valve for controlling a flow of gaseous or liquid fluid and including a valve housing having a valve chamber, into which opens a central channel and on each side thereof a first side channel and a second side channel, respectively, valve seat means arranged in the housing, an elastic diaphragm adapted to be brought into and away from sealing contact with at least one of the valve seat means, and control means for actuating the diaphragm. In, inter alia, the process industry there is a great need for valves. In many cases three way valves are used for controlling flows to various equipment in a process chain. The three way valves available today are primarily of the seat, plug cock, or ball valve type. These valves, however, have the drawback that they are provided with a stuffing box around the valve spindle transmitting motion from a control device to the valve cone. However, leakage of the fluid to be controlled can gradually occur through such a stuffing box. Further, this type of valves is provided with sealing rings behind which a fluid may settle without being easy to remove. In many processes, therefore, these valves are not allowed i.a. due to difficulties to clean them. In order to avoid these drawbacks, one has to use diaphragm valves. Today, diaphragm valves suitable for the process industry are available only as two way valves. Examples of existing two way diaphragm valves are described in SE-B- 7602218-5 and 7906316-0. In order to obtain a function corresponding to, e.g., seat valves, the use of two two way diaphragm valves is required. US-A-3,991,788 describes a multiple outlet diaphragm valve having a constantly open inlet port, wherefrom a flow is lead to a normally open outlet port. Upon selection of another outlet port, the normally open port is first closed, whereafter the selected port is opened. This diaphragm valve is complicated in its operation and has many movable parts. It is unsuitable for the process industry because it is difficult to clean, and it can hardly be made self-draining. The object of the present invention is to provide a three way diaphragm valve for the process industry, where the desire is to mix two flows, or, to divide one flow to two different outlets. In achieving this, the diaphragm valve shall comply with extensive sanitary requirements, be simply and reliably operable and have relatively few movable parts. Further, the valve shall easily be made self-draining. This object is achieved in a diaphragm valve having the characteristic features stated in the appended claims. The present invention will now be more closely described, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, wherein - Fig. 1 is a vertical central section through a first embodiment of the invention, - Fig. 2 is a section along line II-II in Fig. 1, - Fig. 3 is a section along line III-III in Fig. 1, - Fig. 4 is a vertical central section through a second embodiment of the invention, - Fig. 5 is a section along line V-V in Fig. 4, - Fig. 6 shows a pressure and lifting block of the second embodiment seen from underneath, - Fig. 7 shows the pressure and lifting block of Fig. 6 from one side, - Fig. 8 shows an alternative shaping of a valve housing, - Fig. 9 is a section through a valve housing along the central channel, and - Fig. 10 is a section through the two side channels perpendicular to the section according to Fig. 9. The diaphragm valve according to the present invention comprises a valve housing 1 having a valve chamber 2, in this embodiment having an approximately rectangular shape seen in plan view (Fig. 3) . In the valve chamber open, after each other in the longitudinal direction of the rectangular shape, a first side channel 3, a central channel 4 and a second side channel 5, having each an outer fluid connection or port 6, 7 and 8, respectively. The channels 3 and 5 are substantially symmetrically arranged with respect to the central channel 4. The mouths of the channels 3 and 4 and 4 and 5, respectively, are separated by valve housing walls la and lb, respectively, that are symmetrically located with respect to the central channel 4. Portions of the surface of the valve housing around the mouths of the channels form valve seats 9, 10 and 11, respectively. A resilient diaphragm 12 is arranged on the valve housing 1 and adapted to be brought into and away from sealing contact with at least one of the valve seats. In order to control the movements of the diaphragm 12 the valve is provided with an operating unit 13, in turn comprising a control part 14 and a drive part 15. The control part 14 includes a rectangular housing 16, in which are guided two pressure and lifting blocks 17 and 18, which are adapted to press, freely bearing on the diaphragm, one portion each of the diaphragm 12 against the valve housing and its seatings and to lift corresponding portions off the valve housing. For the latter purpose, the diaphragm 12 is provided with two separated tongues 12a, 12b, that are located symmetrically about a vertical plane of symmetry including the center line of the diaphragm and the axis of the central channel 4. The tongues 12a, 12b are situated closer to the vertical plane of symmetry than are the valve housing walls la and lb. Pins 19, 20 introduced into the blocks 17 and 18, respectively, extend through the tongues. In the blocks 17 and 18 are attached the lower ends of pull and push rods 21 and 22, respectively, that are sealingly guided in a wall 23 sealingly separating the control part 14 and the drive part 15. The drive part 15 includes a housing 24 having two parallel cylinders 25 and 26, which are axially defined by the wall 23 and an upper wall 27 opposed thereto. Pistons 28 and 29 are guided in the cylinders 25 and 26 and are fixedly connected to the upper ends of the rods 21 and 22, respectively. Between the upper wall 27 and the respective piston 28, 29 is arranged a compression spring 30 and 31, respectively, which, thus, presses the associated piston, rod 21, 22 and block 17, 18 downwards towards the diaphragm. In the housing 24 there are connections 32, 33 to introduce pressure medium via solenoid valves 34, 35 into the cylinders 25, 26 under the respective piston 28, 29, thereby to raise these while overcoming the force of the respective spring. By actuating the solenoid valves 34, 35, raising of either of blocks 17, 18, or, simultaneous raising of both blocks can be achieved. The surface of the respective block 17 and 18 facing the diaphragm 12 has such shape and extension that each block sealingly presses the diaphragm against but one seat 9 and 11, respectively, while simultaneous pressing of both blocks against the diaphragm sealingly presses the diaphragm against all the valve seats 9, 10, 11. The arrangement of the tongues 12a, 12b of the diaphragm, the valve housing walls la and lb, and the blocks 17 and 18 is such, that raising of one block, while the other is still pressed against the diaphragm, results in that the corresponding portion of the diaphragm leaves its sealing contact with the associated seat 9 or 11. Since each of these seats has one seat surface in common with the seat 10 of the other channel 4, not only one of the channels 3 and 5 will be opened towards the valve chamber, but also the central channel 4. Hereby, communication is established between the channels 3 and 4, and 5 and 4, respectively. Of course, simultaneous raising of both blocks 17 and 18 will establish communication between all three channels 3, 4 and 5. As appears from Fig. 1, the seat surfaces common to channel 4 and channels 3 and 5 are horizontal, while the seat surfaces of the channels 3 and 5 turned away from each other are inclined such that the valve chamber exhibits a concave shape. Advantageously, the diaphragm is preshaped so that its underside, in the unactuated state of the diaphragm, has a substantially corresponding concave shape. This state corresponds to the state when both blocks 17 and 18 are raised and, thus, there is communication between all channels. When both blocks are pressed by the springs 30 and 31 against the seats of the valve housing, the diaphragm is deformed to adopt the shape shown in Fig. 1. Thus, in this state, the upper side of the diaphragm, having a substantially uniform thickness, obtains a concavity corresponding to the concavity of the valve chamber, the lower surfaces of the two blocks being in turn adapted thereto in order to exert an evenly distributed pressure against the diaphragm. Expressed in another manner it could be said that the diaphragm has a plate or tray-like shape having a flat portion 12' adapted to cover the channel 4, i.e., to bear on the seat 10, and two inclined portions 12'' adapted to cover the channels 3 and 5, i.e., to bear on the seats 9 and 11 and particularly the outer portions thereof. Furthermore, the diaphragm has a plane peripheral portion 12''' clamped between the valve housing l and the housing 16. In Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 showing a second embodiment of the invention, corresponding details have the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment increase by 100. The second embodiment of the invention differs from the first one primarily in that the valve chamber 102 of the valve housing 101 and the effective portion of the diaphragm 112 are substantially circular. Also in this instance, the diaphragm 112 has a plane portion 112A. The tongues 12a, 12b are replaced by one single lifting yoke 112A of substantially T-shaped cross section and having lifting flanges 112a and 112b and a web portion 112c. The lifting yoke is centrally located on the diaphragm 112. This arrangement enables a very compact structure of the complete valve, viz., in that the associated lift and pressure blocks 117, 118 can be arranged close to each other. This, in turn, results in that the rods 121, 122 will be located so close to each other that cylinders and pistons situated laterally to each other cannot suitably be used, since pneumatic system pressure normally available within the process industry is at 6 bar and would result in a to low force to overcome the necessary spring force. Therefore, the cylinders are axialy displaced such that they - seen in the axial direction - overlap each other. One piston, thus, receives a longer piston rod than the other. The •arrangement can be such that the longer piston rod extends radially outside the other cylinder (not shown) , or, as shown in Fig. 4, that the longer piston rod 121 extends through the other cylinder and its associated piston 129. In this embodiment, the operating unit 113 is divided in a combined control and drive part 114 and a drive part 115. The control and drive part 114 accommodates within a cylindrical lower wall portion 116 the blocks 117 and 118 and above a partition wall 123 the cylinder 126. This is upwardly sealed by the bottom 115a of the drive part 115, which accomodates the cylinder 125. In the bottom 115a as well as in the partition wall 123 are arranged sealings for the rod 121 and the rods 121 and 122, respectively. Also in the piston 129 there is arranged a sealing for the rod 121. Furthermore, there are non-shown connections for supply to the cylinders of pressurized fluid for controlling the valve. In this embodiment, the rods 121 and 122 are coupled to the blocks 117, 118 by means of threaded conical pins 141, 142, that are screwed into threaded holes 143, 144 in the blocks and have their tips engaging notches 145, 146 in the rods. Mounting of the pins 141, 142 takes place through openings 147, made for this purpose in the wall portion 116, while compressing the springs 130, 131. The blocks 117, 118 exhibit recesses 149, 150 into which the lifting flanges 112a, 112b are introduced. As appears from Fig. 4, there is a space between the web portion 112c of the lifting yoke 112A and the lower ends of the blocks. This space allows lateral movement (inclination) of the web portion due to the elastic deformation thereof and of adjacent portions of the lifting flanges arising from raising one block while the other is kept against the diaphragm. In contrast to the first embodiment, the valve housing of the second embodiment does not exhibit a pronounced valve seat for each channel, but rather two part seats 110a and 110b (Fig. 5) , against which the plane portion 112' of the diaphragm bears and which are formed by the upper surfaces of the valve housing walls 10la and 101b. These part seats, however, serve all channels by extending like chords across the valve chamber 102 right up to the peripheral portion of the diaphragm 112, which is clamped between the valve housing 101 and the cylindrical wall 116 of the control and drive part 114. Thus, the part seat 110a serves the channel 103 and, together with the part seat 110b, the channel 104. For this reason, is is sufficient that the blocks 117, 118 press against the diaphragm only over the part seats 110a and 110b. Consequently, the blocks 117 and 118 have been given the wedge shape shown in Fig. 4 bearing on the diaphragm only over the respective part seat. It is important, however, that the blocks press against the diaphragm over its entire effective sealing area. Therefore, the contact surface of the blocks has been given the curved shape adapted to the valve seats that appears from Fig. 7. Also in this embodiment, raising of the diaphragm is performed centrally in relation to the valve housing walls 101a and 102a and their part seats 110a, 110b. In both embodiments of the invention described and shown, when opening a flow passage between the central channel and a side channel, the diaphragm undergoes a deformation involving a bending or twisting about the edge of the down-keeping block facing the opening side while raising the opening half of the diaphragm. Normally, the central channel 4 (104) is the channel through which a medium is introduced into the valve to be selectively distributed to either of or both side channels 3 (103) and 4 (104) . In certain applications it may be advantageous to have a fourth connetion to, or, port in the valve chamber, viz., in the shape of a continuation of the channel 4 (104) . Such a connection 151 is shown in Fig. 8. Several valves arranged in this manner and having their central channels 4 (104) interconnected can provide favourable solutions to valve problems, e.g., at fractioning. A desire within certain process industries is that valves shall be self draining. The present invention provides a solution also to this desire in that, according to Figs. 9 and 10, the bottoms of the channels 203, 204, 205 in the valve housing 201 are inclined an angle α. outwards towards the respective connection 206, 207, 208. A suitable inclination is 5°. The bowl shape of the valve chamber also appears well from Figs. 9 and 10. Furthermore, the mouths of the channels 103 and 105 in the valve chamber 102, and particularly the valve housing walls 101a and 101b, may advantageously be shaped such that, when the diaphragm is open, self drainage of the channels 103 and 105 is effected over the valve housing walls 101a and 101b (see arrows in Fig. 5) at a certain inclination of the valve housing about the common axis of the channels 103 and 105. By means of the invention hereinbefore described there has been provided a three way diaphragm valve, which for instance within the process industry replaces the hitherto necessary two two way diaphragm valves. Further, the diaphragm valve described complies with the recommendations of authorities as well as the demands of manufacturers and customers. The structures shown do not include stuffing boxes and sealing rings behind which stationary fluids may collect. This way of construction fulfills the demands of safe cleaning of the device in an easy manner. Further, the device fulfills the demands of smallest possible enclosed flow volume within the valve. It may be further pointed out that for cleaning and flushing of the valve device, all flow channels may be uncovered by simultaneous actuation of the control cylinders. As an alternative to the operation by pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders shown and described, the control means may be electrically or manually operated. The terms "raise" and "raising" used in the preceding description and in the claims, as concerns the influence of the blocks on the diaphragm, shall, apart from pure raising, include the meaning "allow raising", viz., that the down- keeping action is withdrawn and that "raising" of the diaphragm occurs in consequence of pressure prevailing in the respective channel and/or due to pre-tension inherent in the diaphragm.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Diaphragm valve for controlling a flow of gaseous or liquid fluid and including a valve housing (1; 101) having a valve chamber (2; 102), into which opens a central channel (4; 104) and on each side thereof a first side channel (3; 103) and a second side channel (4; 104), respectively, having each an external connection (6, 7, 8; 106, 107, 108) for fluid, valve seat means (9, 10, 11; 110a, 110b) arranged in the housing, an elastic diaphragm (12; 112) adapted to be brought into and away from sealing contact with at least one of the valve seat means, and control means (17, 18; 117, 118) for actuating the diaphragm, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that at least one portion of each valve seat means (9, 10, 11; 110a, 110b) is common to the central channel (4; 104) and one of the side channels (3, 4; 103, 104) and that two control means (17, 18; 117, 118) are arranged on one hand to press the diaphragm (12; 112) against one such portion each, thereby to shut passage of fluid between the central channel and the respective side channel, on the other to raise one portion each of the diaphragm off the respective portion of the valve seat means thereby to open passage of flow between the central channel and the respective side channel. 2. Diaphragm valve according to claim 1, c h a r a c t e ¬ r i z e d i n that said portions of the valve seat means are symmetrically arranged in respect of a vertical plane of symmetry through the valve, said plane including the central channel, and that the control means are symmetrically arranged about a central portion of the diaphragm in order to act against the diaphragm on either side of the plane of symmetry. 3. Diaphragm valve according to claim l or 2, c h a r a c ¬ t e r i z e d i n that the control means act freely on the diaphragm in a pressing direction, while they are coupled to the diaphragm in a raising direction. 4. Diaphragm valve according to claim 3, c h a r a c t e ¬ r i z e d i n that the diaphragm (12) is provided with two separate coupling means (12a, 12b) integral with the diaphragm and adapted for cooperation with one control means (17, 18) each. 5. Diaphragm valve according to claim 3, c h a r a c t e ¬ r i z e d i that the diaphragm (112) is provided with one coupling means common to both control means (117, 118) . 6. Diaphragm valve according to any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the control means by way of piston rods (21, 22; 121, 122) are connected to one piston (28, 29; 128, 129) each guided in an associated cylinder (25, 26; 125, 126) . 7. Diaphragm valve according to claim 6, c h a r a c t e ¬ r i z e d i n that the piston rod (121) of one piston ( (128) extends through the other piston (129) and its cylinder (126) . 8. Diaphragm valve according to any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the central channel (104) extends through the valve housing (101) between two external connections (107, 150) . 9. Diaphragm valve according to any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the valve chamber (102) is self-draining in that the bottoms of the channels slope (α.) towards the respective external connection when the valve housing is horizontal. 10. Diaphragm valve according to any one of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d i n that the two side channels (103, 105) are self-draining through the central channel (104) when the valve housing is inclined a certain angle in relation to a horizontal plane through the common axis of the two side channels (103, 105) .

Inventors: BAECKLUND INGVAR, BAECKLUND, INGVAR
Applicants: BAECKLUND INGVAR, BAECKLUND, INGVAR
Application year: 1994
Main classification: F16K7
IPC codes: F16K7, F16K11